Chapter１９

Eatingisquiet,noonesaysaword,onlyaloudnoisewhenchopsticksknockonporcelainbowlswillnotbetooquiet.EvenifSeichitellsyou,youcan'teattoomuch.Buthewasstillverynervous,asLannyhardlyate,andhesmelledapairofbeautifuleyes,thecontentsofwhichwerealwaystense,anditwasnotuntilSeichibrokethesilencethatheceasedtobeinterested.

"IknowfromthemouthsofbothRanmaruandMamoruwhyyoucamehere.Ifyouarebeatenbythemtoosuddenly,itmaybedifficult.Thisisarealbrother,butthereisnoconsolation."

Chaninstayedforamoment,knowingwithoutaskingthatSeichimustknowallthedetails,andnoddedtoshowtheotherperson'ssmile.

"Iwouldn'tbesurprisedatallifIsawyousoscared.That'sthewaythegangsdoit,there'snojustice,justemotions,they'rejustbeginningtotakepower,andthey'reoftenarrogant.Ineedawhileoftrainingtomakeyoulooklikeit."

Ashespoke,heturnedtowardshiseyes,whichfellafewsecondsafterthespeaker,andhiseyesbecameunhappy,andlookedatChaninasifhehadnotdoneorsaidanythingyet.

ItwasatthismomentthatChaninbegantoseehiswayofsurvival,anditwasSeichiwhosavedhim.IfRancontinuestopersecutehimsostubbornly,itmayupsetSeichioneday.Whenthatdaycomes,hemaybesavedbySeichi'sorders.

ButwhatshouldIdo?WhatcanIdotobringSeichiin!,

Itisnoteasytopullsuchapersonbehind,becauseafterSeichihasfinishedspeaking,hehasnothingtosay,andmakesRunstopthiscrazybehavior,justnonsense.Finally,don'thavetoomuchfun,becauseyoulostyourjob,sothereisnoconversationuntildinnertimehaspassed.

It'sover...Butit'snotthenaturalend.Seichiabruptlyendshisowndinner,seesit'stimetogototheappointment,andordersRuntogetready.Hismenhastilypreparedacarandimmediatelylefthome,leavingChaninalonetositinthesameplacefordinner.

Butnowhewasnotinthemoodtoeat,andwhenSeijiandBranleft,heputdownhischopsticks,leanedbackinhischair,andabsorbedhimselfininhaling,justashecouldnowbreathethroughhiswholestomach.MamorusaidhedidnotgowithhisbosswhenhewasawaybecausehewasorderedtotakecareofChanin.

"Bequickandfull,sothatIcantakeyoubacktoyourroom.Itisnotgoodtostaytoolong.Ifyouwanttomilk,Iwilltakeyoutoyourroomandeat."

"I'mfull.No,gobacktomyroom.Idon'twanttolivehereeither."

ChaninknowsthatMamorudoesn'twanthimtobetoocasual,especiallyinthereceptionroom,whichisanimportantplaceforthehosttoreceiveguests,sohedeletedhisrolefromhistruefeelings.

"Thengoback,I'llhavesomeonecleanit."

MamorusaidthatChaningotupandwalkedoutalongthebroadbackboard,almostleavingtheroom,whensuddenlyhislegsstopped,andMamorustopped.

"Whyareyouhere?"

AstrangequestionmadeChaninfrown,lookedslightlyatwhotheotherpersonwastalkingto,andthensawayoungmanincivilianclothesaboutMamoru'sagestandingtherewithasmileonhisface.

"Iheardthatthelittlemasterisback,Ihavetohurry."

Mamoru'ssmoothfacesuddenlybecameirritable,anditwasthefirsttimehehadseentheexpressionofthedead-facedman.Icouldn'thelpwonderingwhothenewcomerwas,butIrealizedithadnothingtodowithwhohewas.Hisdutyistolive,findawaytosurviveandreturntothemotherland.

Justthinkofitthatway.WhenthenewcomernoticedthatChaninwasbehindhim,hebentdown,lookedintohismouthandaskedhim.

"Whoisthat?"

"Youdon'tneedtoknow.It'snot..."

"I'mAkiraSato.Nicetomeetyou."

Assoonasheheardit,theotherpersonblurtedout,repeatedlyintroducedhimselftoleave,pushedMamoru'sshoulderwithhishand,toldhimtoavoidanotherroad,andreachedoutforChanintomeethim.

Chaninstoodtherestiffly,notknowingwhattodo,butseeingtheotherperson'ssmile,herespondedwell.AsMamoruexhaleshard,onehandpushestheglassesagainstthebridgeofthenose,likecontrollingemotions.

"Whatisyourname?Areyouaguestoftheyoungmaster?"

Akiraisstilltalking,forgettingthatMamoruisheretoo.

"I'mChanin,I'mhisbrother,andhismotherisnotaguest."

Chaninintroducedhimself.WhenhesawthatMamorudidn'tsayanything,hethoughtitdidn'tmattertosayitwastrue.HewasalsoRan'sslave,butitwouldbebettertosayso.

Akira,however,realizesthis,raiseshereyebrows,isalittlesuspicious,andsuddenlyturnstolookforMamoru.

"Thelittlemaster'sbrotheriscalledLordLittleMaster,orthisisatoythatthelittlemasterbroughttoThailand."

"Iknow.Whydoyouask?"

Mamorureplied,hisvoicecalmandirritable.Chaninfeltsomethingwaswrong.Today,someonecomparedhimselftoRan'stoy,butheignoredit.

It'sbesttocompareittoLan'spet.

"NowonderIthinkyoulookabitlikeayoungmaster."

AkirawastaredatChaninandraisedhishandtocaresshischincarefully.Mamorufeltveryannoyed.

"Youhaven'tansweredmyquestionaboutwhyI'mhere."

SothistimeAkiratookherattentionawayfromhimandansweredMamoru'squestion.

"IhavealreadysaidthatIheardthatthelittlemasterisback,soIhastentocome."

"ButIhaven'tcalledyouyet."

"Don'tcalltoday,callanotherday.IjustgottherebeforeIwassummoned.What'swrong?"

Mamorudidn'tsayanything,asAkirasaid,hedidn'ttoday,hedidn'ttoday,whereisthisguy?

TheconversationbetweenMamoruandAkiramademenervous,andIcouldn'thelpwonderingwhothismanwas,soMamorurepeateditthoughtfully,andhewasfreetocomeoutofthehouse.

Itseemsimportant.

"Buttheyoungmasterdoesn'tneedyoutoday.Gobackfirst.Iftheyoungmasterneedsyou,Iwillcallyou,doctor."

Thelastpronounissmilingface.MoRuisveryupsetwhenshecomesbackfromQingyuan.

"It'sreallygratifyingtohearyoucallmethatonceinawhile.SoI'llgobackfirsttoday.Don'tforget,callmeimmediatelyifanythinghappens.Payattentiontohiscondition.Ifhedoesn'tlookwell,hecancomewithme24hoursaday."

Mamorudidn'tanswer,onlyAkirasaidhelloandwalkedhome.

Thiswidelandleftthearea,soMamorucontinuedhisduties.

"GobacktoyourroomandI'llshowyou."

"Whoisthatguy?"

ChaninsaidsomethingandknewimmediatelythatMamoruwouldn'ttellhim,buthecouldn'thelpit.

Butthistimeitwasstrange,andMamoruglancedathisface.

"Akiraistheyoungmaster'spsychiatrist."

Chaninsuddenlyfrownedonhisheavyeyebrows.

"Psychologist?Forwhat?"

"Youreallyenjoyaskingquestions.Let'sgobacktoyourplace.That'senoughtimetowaste."

Intheend,hedidn'tgetthesameanswer.Heleft,nomatterhowdifficulttheproblemwas.

Idon'tneedtoknowit'snoneofhisbusiness.

You'llneverknow,aslongasyoudon'ttellme.

....It'salwaysasecret.